The instant economist : everything you need to know about how the economy works / Timothy Taylor.

"The great courses"--P. [1] of cover.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-252) and index.

How economists think -- Division of labor -- Supply and demand -- Price floors and ceilings -- Elasticity -- The labor market and wages -- Financial markets and rates of return -- Personal investing -- From perfect competition to monopoly -- Antitrust and competition policy -- Regulation and deregulation -- Negative externalities and the environment -- Positive externalities and technology -- Public goods -- Poverty and welfare programs -- Inequality -- Imperfect information and insurance -- Corporate and political governance -- Macroeconomics and gross domestic product -- Economic growth -- Unemployment -- Inflation -- The balance of trade -- Aggregate supply and aggregate demand -- The unemployment-inflation trade-off -- Fiscal policy and budget deficits -- Countercyclical fiscal policy -- Budget deficits and national saving -- Money and banking -- The Federal Reserve and its powers -- The conduct of monetary policy -- The gains of international trade -- The debates over protectionism -- Exchange rates -- International financial crashes -- A global economic perspective.

Regardless of their level of education, most people wish they understood economics better. An award-winning professor translates the subject's complicated principles into easy-to-understand language, tackling all the key questions and hot topics of microeconomics and macroeconomics.